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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · race · chest · mug · hand · capital · mark · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. capital — a city
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. capital — money
  16. chest — a box
  17. mug — a cup
  18. hand — help
  19. mug — a face
  20. race — a contest
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bank — of a river
  23. hand — in cards
  24. capital — a big letter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com